Mind the gap: Post earthquake community wellbeing?

Abstract

Following the September 2010 and February 2011 Canterbury earthquakes the Stronger Canterbury Strategic Planning Framework was developed by the National Psychosocial Response Subgroup with support from the Psychosocial Recovery Advisory Group under the auspices of the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the National Health Emergency Plan (Ministry of Health, 2007, p.18). The Framework’s purpose was to provide an overarching context for the Christchurch Psychosocial Response Subgroup as well as applicable Community Wellbeing subgroups to assist in planning the psychosocial recovery in response to the Canterbury earthquakes. Within the document two essential components to the psychosocial recovery for Canterbury are identified: individual recovery and wellbeing, and the building of community resilience while supporting psychosocial wellbeing. Implicit in the document is the notion that provided the right supports are in place, recovery will occur. This article argues the current pervasive neo-liberal perspective has hampered the ability of those supports to be fully realised. To begin, the strategic planning aims of addressing individual psychosocial wellbeing and community resilience will be defined in this review. Secondly, examples illustrating how the pervading neo-liberal perspective has contributed to the failure of the policy to assist community recovery will be discussed. Examples referring to the notions of rights, equality, social justice and the Treaty of Waitangi will be provided. To conclude, the slow pace of the recovery for Cantabrians has had, and continues to have, multiple implications for the social work community. It is over two years on from the first earthquake, and much of the population are still struggling to gain equilibrium. Social workers in Canterbury have been working tirelessly to improve outcomes for clients. It is suggested it is time social work as a national body advocates for the stakeholders to pay more attention to the original intent of the framework.